Kikwete at Jeremiah Sumari funeral farewell

By The guardian reporter

22nd January 2012

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President Jakaya Kikwete pays last respects to the body of Member of Parliament for Arumeru West, the late Jeremiah Solomon Sumari at the Karimjee grounds in Dar es Salaam yesterday.Extreme right is the Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner, Said Meck Sadiq.(Photo: Tryphone Mweji)

President Jakaya Kikwete yesterday led hundreds of mourners at the Karimjee Hall in Dar es Salaam to bid farewell to the late Jeremiah Sumari, Arumeru East MP (CCM) who passed away on Thursday.

Sumari died at Muhimbili Referral Hospital of brain cancer. The late MP left for India for medical treatment last month and returned to Tanzania on January 9.

Speaker Anne Makinda, speaking on behalf of the Parliament, described Sumari as a great servant and one who always placed the needs of others first. She called on public leaders and citizens at large to cherish that spirit.

“When Sumari stood up to comment on any matter (at parliamentary meetings), there is no doubt you will be convinced,” Makinda noted, adding that he was such an eloquent leader, making so much sense in his argument.

Although death always comes with heartbreaking feelings to relatives, Makinda called for the public to consider the positive side of it - reminding humankind of the path that everyone will definitely go through, hence the importance of getting prepared for that journey.

She said every person should diligently fulfill each one’s responsibility on earth and uphold good deeds. Makinda said death destiny pretty much depends on what one does while on earth.

“Unfortunately we all don’t know how that destiny looks like for nobody who has gone there has come back and reported about the place, but we rely on teachings of God’s servants that the place is good and all we have to do is prepare ourselves with good deeds here on earth,” elaborated Makinda.

The speaker doesn’t believe politics is a ‘corny game’ arguing “that means no politician will inherit the Kingdom of God, something that would make no body risk vying for political activism and miss the Kingdom of God.”

Government representative, Minister of State Prime Minister’s Office, Policy, Coordination and National Assembly, William Lukuvi voiced that the public has lost a very important public servant but affirmed that death does not mean the death of his ideas as well.

“Fortunately, as the party (CCM), we have in writing the entire plan of what he was doing and what he planned to do for his constituency, Arumeru East –which means that CCM can promise to fulfill whatever plan the late Sumari had.”

The chairman of opposition camp in parliament, Freeman Mbowe (MP), pointed out that the funerals of the two MPs (Sumari and Mtema) which occurred within a short period have demonstrated how Tanzanians can stand together despite their party ideological differences.

“Chadema Central Committee had planned to have a meeting in Zanzibar but have canceled the programme so that we may join our brethren in this time of sorrow. And this should always be the attitude, not only in funerals but in other key national issues,” said Mbowe.

Sumari had served in other fields such as Deputy PS in Ministry of Finance, chairman of Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange, a member of Board of Directors, East Africa Development Bank

Sumari’s body will be transported by a special flight to Arusha for burial tomorrow at 9am, where about 50 other MPs appointed to represent the rest will leave in the noon. The burial will be on Monday.

Meanwhile, the NCCR- Mageuzi top leaders are expected to meet the president at State House tomorrow to discuss the making of the new constitution, the party’s chairman, James Mbatia told The Guardian on Sunday.

Mbatia said the delegation is expected to ask the president to accept using professionals on constitutional matters in the process of writing a new constitution for Tanzania.

“You see, there are basically three leading constitutional lawyers in this country” noted Mbatia “and luckily, our party (NCCR-Mageuzi) has one, Dr Sengondo Mvungi, who is still practicing in the same field. We hope to convince the president on the importance of fully involving these professionals in this crucial matter.”

He said one of the aims of starting NCCR-Mageuzi about 20 years ago was to campaign for a new constitution for the country, saying that even the party’s name reveals this.

On Friday, NCCR-Mageuzi planned to hold a demonstration against increased power tariffs. The demonstration was scheduled to start at 8.00am from the party’s headquarters at Buguruni but it was canceled after president’s office called to meet the party leaders said the party chairman, Mbatia.